Teenager pleads guilty to stealing car in Ryde

A teenager who stole a car on the Isle of Wight is due to be sentenced next month.

Roobin Jones, aged 19, stole a Volkswagen Fox which was parked on Cothey Way in Ryde on 22 September this year.

On 28 September, officers located the vehicle in the car park of Tesco on Brading Road, Ryde.

Further enquiries, including forensic analysis, linked Jones to the vehicle.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

Jones, of Culver Parade in Sandown, was remanded in custody by police to appear at Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 November.

At the hearing, Jones pleaded guilty to all the offences and was bailed by Magistrates to appear at the same court again for sentencing on 6 December.

Thieves will exploit any opportunity to steal property, or gain entry to a vehicle or address.

If you witness any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, or have seen a suspicious person trying door handles for vehicles or addresses, please report this to police on 101, or by submitting information to us online here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Dial 999 if a crime is in progress.

We encourage people to ensure all vehicles are securely locked and keys are kept in a secure place to inhibit opportunistic thieves.

Some offenders may gain access to a residential address in order to steal the keys to a vehicle, so it’s important to keep windows and doors locked.

Offenders will look for tell-tale signs of vacant addresses, such as a house with no lights on during a dark evening. With the changes to the season, and evenings drawing darker sooner, it’s worth considering leaving lights on at home as a security measure if possible to do so.

For further advice and tips on how to keep your car or property secure, visit the crime prevention page on our website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/